Chapter 2

Anson froze for a moment, then walked toward me—but the hope I felt was short-lived.

With a swift, dismissive push, he shoved me away. His eyes were cold and sharp, full of mockery.

“You’re not my mom! If you wanted a kid, you should’ve had one yourself!”

My heart shattered.

He turned to Xena, tugging at her sleeve, his voice soft and obedient.

“Mom, I’m sleepy. Take me to bed.”

Xena smiled down at him, rubbing his hair gently.

“Of course, sweetie. Let’s get you to sleep.”

Then, with a glance at me, she teased:

“Sorry, your son doesn’t recognize you.”

They disappeared into the bedroom, leaving me and David alone in the living room.

David scooped me up and set me on the couch, brushing the tears from my cheeks with tender fingers.

“Sarah… still upset?” he murmured. “If you want, you can hit me. I deserve it. I shouldn’t have pulled that trick with Anson. He would have called you Mom by now.”

Hearing him speak like that ignited a fire in me. He grabbed my hands, pulling me closer, wrapping me in his arms. His voice was low, almost desperate.

“I swear I can make Xena treat our child properly. You’ll see. I’ll fix everything.”

I remembered the dreams we once shared—of having a child together, of being a family.

But then came the memory that haunted me: the day Anson was two, when David went mad and beat our little boy with a whip. I had thrown myself over him, taking the blows, begging David to stop.

“David, please! He’s only two! What has he done to deserve this?” I had cried.

His answer had been horrifying: “My ex told me in a dream… I can’t have children with anyone else. It’s either him or me today!”

He had taken Anson from my arms, squeezing his neck, stopping his breath. I was powerless. And when I finally blacked out, I woke up to be a frozen, lifeless child.

The next day, David acted like nothing had happened. He smiled, apologized, and promised to make it up to me. He showered me with gifts, attention, and care. But now I realized the truth: his “love” had been a lie.

Xena’s return? That was the moment David lost his temper for the first time in years. All along, he hadn’t loved me—he had only wanted Anson’s eye for Xena’s benefit.

The truth made my chest ache. I shoved David away, furious.

“We’re done. Divorce. The child stays with me.”